Gospel Relevance

Why is it so important that we worship in a way that integrates the richness of our heritage and the relevance of the Gospel in our ever-changing culture?

When we ignore historic traditions we break our solidarity with Christians of the past.  We lose the richness of our identity as Christians saved into a historic people that spans the generations.  An unwillingness to consult tradition contradicts both Christian humility and Christian Community.

But the Bible also calls us to express the timeless truths of the Gospel in a timely way that connects with the people of our generation in fresh ways.

How do we balance these two mandates? One way is by continuing to sing the old, classic hymns of the faith along with newer songs with beautiful tunes and robust theology.  And, as Calvin and Luther insisted, old songs can be rewritten in the vernacular and put to contemporary melodies.